How does it work ?
The exchangers agree
upon a house trade for a certain time, and while you live
in your partner's home, the exchanger family lives in
your home. Both parties benefit from having the comfort
of a real home: plenty of space, no living out of the
suitcases, your own car, and last but not least, at no
extra charge except for travel expenses.
Is it secure to exchange my home ?
Successful
exchanges are based on flexibility. Members who are open
to the adventures that our home exchange formula offers
have a high probability of finding a suitable exchange
partner. Rigid dates or destinations may limit the scope
of your options. But always remember that your potential
partner also shares the same concerns: they might have
kids as well, with the related school period constraints.
When two families with kids exchange their home, the
constraint becomes an asset, as everyone wants vacations
more or less at the same time.
What about exchanging our cars ?
Sure
you can. You can arrange to exchange and use almost
anything you wish: bicycles, boats, windsurfs. Exchanging
cars is very common when you make an agreement that
implies a long distance travel. Car exchange is less
common in a "Europe - Europe" exchange, because distances
are smaller, and people prefer to drive to their exchange
home with their own car.
What about language barriers ?
Cultural
empowerment is the most interesting thing in the home
exchange concept, and language differences are a
particularly interesting topic. You will notice that when
it comes down to getting in touch with people who are
planning to live in your home, there is no language
barrier any more. It is very surprising how well people
actually can communicate when they share the same
interests (and how badly when not ...): they can
translate, speak baby talk, remember their school
lessons, ask relatives for assistance,... Yes, they'll do
their best to get close to someone who was a stranger a
few days earlier, but who's becoming a friend, despite
the language barrier.
Anyway,
when you get in touch with people abroad, most of them
speak reasonably good English, and conversely you'll be
surprised by how many people have some basic knowledge of
French or German.
How do I help prevent a mismatch ?
There
is enough information in the listings to weed out some
obvious mismatches. For instance, an exchange family with
four young children may not be ideal for a retired couple
living in an antique-filled home. Or your party of five
may not fit into a studio apartment in New York.
What are your competitive advantages?
Our
customized services! We do it fast. We publish without a
deadline. A subscription received one day will be
available on Another-Home.com right away.
Our
search engine is powerful. Your vacation home on the
other side of the ocean is only a few mouse clicks
away.
Easy to
consult Home features. The full page ad describes the
house in clear sentences and shows color picture if
member wishes.
Confidentiality
is guaranteed. We protect the customer's privacy. No
private information such as names or addresses is
published.
We are
listening to you. Send us an email for an
information and you have an answer the same day.
And we
are not expensive. Just compare and you will come
back.
Can I register more than one property ?
Every
membership application entitles you to register one
property for a full year publication in our directory.
You can offer this property for as many exchanges as you
want. If you own a secondary residence, and you would
like to offer it for an exchange, you need a second
application.
How many times can I exchange ?
As many
as you want ! Your membership ensures you a full year
publication of your home profile during which time you
can ask for as many exchanges as you wish.
What are the fees for a one year membership
?
When
you consider that you are about to save a couple of
thousand dollars, the cost of our service is just
ridiculous. You are entitled for a full year membership
for just US$ 48. This membership fees entitles you
to:
A
full year access to the directory
Your
personal home exchange profile
Three
photos of your house
Unlimited
travel destinations
Free
translation of your ad into French
Free
link to your personal web site
No
hidden charges once you have arranged an exchange.
Everything is included in the above mentioned flat
rates.
Is it safe to leave my home with unknown people
?
The
majority of members are professional people, who have
worked very hard to achieve a good standard of living.
Many of them have a family and live the same way you do.
These people like to travel, are open-minded and
respectful of other's belongings. This is why they are
exchanging homes. The traditional hotel or holiday
package is not their favorite piece of cake, and they
prefer the home comforts which are available when
swapping with like-minded people.
As a
rule, families will communicate quite a lot while in the
process oforganizing the exchange, and will become good
friends. And don't forget that you will be living in
their home, so they have exactly the same concerns and
will do their best to treat your house in a respectful
way. The best exchanges are a result of reciprocal trust
and honesty.
Organized
home exchanges have been taking place for over fifty
years now. Occasionally, housekeeping standards differ
from culture to another, but most people discover that
home exchangers tend to take greater care of their
exchange homes than their own. We encourage families get
to know each other before the exchange holiday begins.
Ideally we suggest that families actually meet, at one
home or the other. This is great opportunity get
acquainted, explain a few things about housing supplies,
shopping, or after the holidays, talk about the nice time
each party spent in the other's home.
Will my home insurance cover my guests ?
Two
aspects have to be considered here: car insurance and
home insurance. We can provide you with some general
comments, but the final word will always be that of your
insurance agent. Talk to your insurance agent, his advice
is precious.
Car insurance: normally it is sufficient to list
the names of your exchange guests as additional drivers
on your policy. Fully comprehensive insurance normally
covers anyone driving with your permission. If it makes
you more comfortable, you can set up restrictions by
yourselves, e.g. restrict drivers to those aged 25+,
indicate the maximum number of miles or kilometers to be
driven, and make it clear if you do not wish your car to
be driven abroad or across any border. In the case of
North America, definitely stipulate that you do not allow
your car to be driven into Mexico, because only insurance
made with a Mexican company is valid there.
Home insurance: most insurance companies fully
support the home exchange concept, as this contributes to
lowering the risk related to an unoccupied home. Normally
your home is insured for your exchange guests as if you
were living in it yourselves (no financial transaction is
involved).
What about damage to my home ?
Always
remember that your exchange partner lets you stay in his
own home and shares probably the same concern. For
certain he is very motivated to take special care of your
belongings, in the same way that he expects you to be
respectful with his.
However, should some unfortunate event occur, the
responsibility to pay to have it repaired, or to
reimburse you for the damage lies with whomever caused
the damage.
Some
other common precautions:
Remove
things of particular value, or your "special" stuff.
Chances are that your home exchange partner will also
prefer that fragile or valuable articles are out of
range.
Ask a
neighbor to call in. This not only allows a trusted
neighbor to make sure everything is right, but also
provides your guests with a welcome local contact.
An
exchange agreement can help establish responsibilities
for any problems, such as who pays for the utilities,
breakage, plumbing problems and other unexpected
occurrences.
Most
exchangers take special care of their exchange house, but
please remember that some wear and tear occurs even while
you occupy your home. A certain amount of tolerance is a
must in home exchanges.
What if my partner cancels at the last minute
?
Once
you are sure your arrangements have been finalized, book
your airline tickets. Make a copy of these tickets and
send them to your exchange partner. Once significant
amounts of money have been invested, it is extremely
unlike that either side will cancel.
But the
ultimate disaster can always knock at the door, for many
tragic reasons. Fortunately there are always a few things
that the canceling party or you can do to work out an
alternate plan. There might be a nice neighbor offering
his home, you might be able to free up your second home
or cabin. Is there a way to arrange an inexpensive rental
(even consider sharing the costs ?)
If no
acceptable plan is available, you still have several
options:
Communicate
your concern to some of the "near misses" you might have
had in the months before the cancellation. Someone with
whom you've corresponded, but could not finalize an
arrangement, might still be available.
Possibly
arrange to rent a motor-home near the area you planned to
visit.
Perhaps
you can postpone to a later date.
The
absolute last resort: if you have the resources, try to
arrange a conventional vacation at a motel or rental
facility near where the exchange was to have taken
place.
What about my pets ?
For a
lot of families, looking after their exchange partner's
pets is a task they enjoy. Think about the kids meeting
their new cat friend ! However be careful to never impose
this task on anyone who does not want to assume this
responsibility. Consider the fact that many exchangers
will use your home as a base for day excursions, and your
beloved pet may just be an unacceptable restriction to
their liberty.
Other questions? Just
E-mail us
and we will normally answer it the same day.
